Deep gas research emphasizes studies of natural gas in subduction emplaced sediments and in deep sedimentary basins. Deep gas research in subduction-emplaced sediments is based on the hypothesis that natural gas is generated in sediments carried to great depths at convergent plate boundaries in the Earth's crust. Many areas of North America are believed to have experienced plate tectonic convergence. The specific area of interest in this province encompasses approximately 1.5 million square miles of the western US (including Alaska) and Canada; other portions of this same province extend southward into Mexico and Central and South America. For subduction-emplaced sediments, ongoing research consists of basic studies of hydrocarbon generation, stability, and preservation at depths in excess of 15,000 feet, and a comprehensive evaluation of the geologic structures, stratigraphy, and geochemistry of the above region. Results to date include: geologic and geophysical evidence of deeply emplaced sedimentary rock units at depths exceeding 30,000 feet in western Washington and south-central Alaska, and high-resolution seismic-reflection verification of structures defined by reconnaissance, magnetotelluric geophysical techniques in western Washington; a new methodology for verifying deep methane stability with fluid inclusion studies; and a preliminary gas resource estimate of 3000 trillion cubic feet (Tcf). 1 ref., 9 figs., 4 tabs.